


Whiterun and No Fun.

by IceBreeze



Series: Step aside exy, Skyrim is in town [5]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Alternate Universe - Skyrim Fusion, Established Wildani, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-01
Updated: 2017-03-01
Packaged: 2018-09-27 18:43:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10039118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IceBreeze/pseuds/IceBreeze
Summary: The sun was high in the sky by the time they finally reached Dragonsreach and what they actually came here to do.(Part 3).





	

**Author's Note:**

> And we finally have other characters appearing! And other relationships! Told you we'd get there eventually. For @reytrashqueen because I am once again feeling emotional about how amazing they are and how much I love them.

Whiterun was tall as fuck, and at this point Allison wasn’t sure if it was out of a desire to be as different to Riverwood as possible or that this was just the general trend for Skyrim. She was going to go with the latter, considering how even the people in it seemed unable to remain on the normal side of height. They also appeared to have a strange fondness for stairs, as everywhere she turned there were stairs, stairs and more stairs, and held some bewildering grudge against using stone in houses.

The tallest building in the city was some precariously balanced castle that was apparently called Dragonsreach (again with the dragons), which felt a little ironic considering how little defence the city seemed to have against an actual fucking dragon. I mean, sure there were walls, but the chances are of an actual dragon being deterred by a pathetic pile of rock are next to nothing. And, despite the very indulgent advertising, there wasn’t actually that much _white_ about, so, unless she was seeing something different to the rest of them, she had no idea where the name had come from.

_(Unless it was taken from colour of Nordic skin in which case, yeah, she saw it)._

Travelling hadn’t taken as long as Allison had been led to believe-two, maybe three days at most, unless her ability to keep track of time was leading her astray. It probably helped that Renee knew the way there like the back of her hand, so they didn’t get lost or need to take it slow. It had even been uneventful by Skyrim’s standards, which meant that they ran into a fuck ton of wolves (which she was beginning to hate more than dessert scorpions) and had one close call with a group of Raven soldiers that were narrowly side-stepped.

But they made it, and once they were actually inside the city things had been so easy that it was, quite frankly, disturbing. The guards hadn’t even made an effort to stop them from entering- they’d merely taken one look at Renee, practically fallen over themselves to bow, and opened the gates like nothing was amiss. There weren’t even any warriors following their every move, like there would have been in Hammerfell. It made absolutely no sense- weren’t they in a war?

_(Though, by this point, she was wondering if it would save her a headache to just… stop trying to apply logic to Skyrim because this country was the fucking mess of all messes)._

But, even though there was no problems, it still took them ages to actually get to Dragonsreach, because it turned out that Renee was some sort of beacon or some shit that the guards all gravitated towards- all of them. Every. Single. One. Allison lost count of how many times they were stopped by armoured people who rushed up to Renee, performing actions that ranged from starting up a delighted conversation to saluting and declaring their undying respect and adoration. The first time, Allison had felt like she was in some sort of surreal dream but by the twenty-fifth she just sort of. Gave up and scowled impatiently.

_(It’s an uncomfortable reminder about just how out of her depth she is, that she knows absolutely nothing about this place, but hey. She can adapt. She has to, after all, if she wants to survive)._

Renee seemed to thrive here, from the looks of things- her face practically glowing as she smiled warmly at everyone and everything, any tension that may have been present before completely drained away. It was like she had been set alight, like a match in the wilderness, and Allison wondered when she would get burnt.

She wondered, was Renee the guide or the destroyer?

_(She wondered, and yet no answers came)._

* * *

The sun was high in the sky by the time they finally reached Dragonsreach and what they actually came here to do. Renee finally drew to a stop in front of a set of drastically oversized doors, Allison following behind her with some desperate attempts to avoid the urge to just run- to turn around and get the fuck out of there, right there and then.

A guard stood nearby, eying Allison with a hand not-so-subtly gripping their weapon. They were apparently unhappy with her being there, not even Renee’s presence serving to ease that instinctive suspicion. Which was, to her never-delight, unsurprising. She was a Redguard in Nordic land, an unknown about to approach their Jarl and not even the presence of the King himself would lessen that (in fact, it might make it worse, considering what Renee had said about their King). Allison felt something prickle in her veins- something sharp and vicious, like a thousand needles, but she didn’t get a chance to dwell on it before Renee turned back to her. She gestured at the door, an expression on her face that Allison took to mean _‘are you ready’_ but could just have easily been _‘this is a door.’_

_(It could have meant ‘don’t worry.’ It could have meant ‘are you still okay with this?’)_

Either way it was a question, so she nodded and hoped for the best. Shoulders squared, she settled a to Renee’s side, half a step behind. It was a familiar position, something they’d fallen into during the fighting and traipsing through spider guts and muck- and, in some weird way, it was comforting. Because this was a battle to her, one with the odds stacked high against her- she was surrounded by people who could just as easily try to kill her as they could smile and all she had to rely on was one woman’s word. It was a battle, to Allison, just like everything else was- just like _life_ was- so she swallowed the dread, the unease, and held herself strong as Renee placed her hand on the doorknob and _pushed._

_(She wondered if it was too late to run, which was pathetic because of course it was, it had been too late since that blasted dragon appeared)._

* * *

The first thing Allison saw when they stepped inside was pillars, pillars and more pillars- towers of intricately carved wood that seemed to stretch for miles, converging into the far off ceiling like vines. The room was as large as it was quiet, all conversation halted at their entrance (apparently they weren’t expecting company). The lighting was dim, almost extravagantly so, the fires dotted here and the shadows they cast seemed to come alive, bearing down upon them like enemies that can’t be slain.

_(Like the demons of time itself)._

Allison stared around her as they climbed the steps, cataloguing every possible hiding place in case worse came to worse until they reached the top and found themselves a target of a lot of staring. There were only two people in the room-a Dunmer with a sword bigger than herself standing beside a man sat on the throne- Jarl Wymack himself, most likely. Both were visibly cautious, ready to attack at the slightest movement, but it wasn’t them Allison found her attention drawn to. No, instead it was the thing above the Jarl- the skull. A dragons skull, mounted to the wall like some sort of grotesque trophy, very obviously dead. And yet it seemed to follow her, stare at her, as though it was aware of her presence and was drawn to it for some inexplicable reason- and just for a moment, it seemed to come alive. She felt trapped, unable to look away, drawn to it like it was compelling her closer, closer and then there was a voice. It spoke- the words important, so important, and yet they slipped from her fingers like mist, there one moment and gone the next.

_(Her breath felt shaky on the next exhale and she forced herself to look away, dismissing it as her overworked nerves)._

Back with the living side of things, the Dunmer’s sword had been half out of its sheaf before she finally zeroed in on Renee, freezing in her movements. Her eyes flashed with delight and a smile spread on her face as she seemed unconcerned by Allison’s presence. And yet, when the sword went back into the sheaf, her hand remained close to it, ready to pull it out any moment. Allison would have laughed if she wasn’t so ready to defend herself at any moment.

_(She trusted Renee but if there was one thing she’d learnt from life, it was that every person you met was probably going to try and kill you at least once in your life. It was just a matter of when and how)._

The man, on the other hand- the ruler of this hold, the one with the power in the palm of his hands- seemed completely at ease, eyes crinkled with warmth as he smiled down at Renee. It seemed fond, bewilderingly so, as though Renee was his daughter and not his subordinate-an ex-subordinate at that. It was as though he was truly glad to see her, and-perhaps what Allison found strangest of all- entirely genuine. There was no falsity in it that she could gleam, no deception- he seemed to be the most sincere person she had ever seen (even Renee had hidden more than him, and that was saying something). It set her on edge.

_(There could be no such thing as a completely honest person- it was impossible)._

Renee mirrored the expression, apparently oblivious to Allison’s caution as she bowed. She said, “I’m glad you are well, my Jarl.”

And he laughed. He laughed in response, as though this was a tea party and not an impromptu report by two women covered in more blood than practical, and waved away her formality with an air of practised ease that suggested he’d done it many times before:

 “It’ll take more than age to kill me.” He shifted in his seat, his expression turning sombre, “’I’m glad to see you alive. We heard rumours of your capture from Neil but could do nothing to help.”

Renee nodded, “My men and I were ambushed- someone gave away our position. A dragon attacked Helgen, where we were taken for the axe, just as this woman,” she inclined her head in Allison’s direction, “was about to be beheaded. It saved our lives.”

Allison fought to keep her expression still as the pair flicked their gazes to her, studying her with an intensity that made her fingers itch with sparks of magic. She didn’t breathe until they looked back to Renee, the Dunmer the first to break the silence:

“A dragon? But they should be dead.” She scowled, not hiding her incredulity, “They were dead.”

“Yes, a dragon. And the last we saw it was heading in this direction.”

Renee and the Dunmer exchanged a glance before turning back to the Jarl, who’d gone quiet. The Dunmer asked, “What should we do, my Jarl?”

With a sigh, he rubbed a hand over his forehead and muttered, “We can’t leave my Hold unprepared.” He cast a look at the Dunmer, “Send a detachment to Riverwood.”

“Yes sir.” And with that the dunmer bowed and went to the nearest guard- some poor sod hanging near the stairs- and proceeded to bark orders at them.

The Jarl turned a considering gaze on Allison and she found her legs tensing, bracing herself for an attack or whatever else could happen. Her entire body felt as tense as a bowstring but when she met his eyes it was evenly, none of her inner unease betrayed through her gaze. Something flickered through his expression she couldn’t read and for a long moment their gazes held like that. It felt like hours before he exhaled heavily and turned to Renee, prompting:

“You escaped Helgen together?”

The Dunmer returned to her position by the Jarl’s side, not even bothering to hide her interest as she chimed in her own lot to the game of how-many-people-can-stare-at-once. On the whole, Allison felt rather like she was on display in a circus or something- though, actually she might’ve preferred that. At least then she’d get paid.

Renee, on the other hand, smiled warmly, her voice firm and decisive as she said, “Yes. She’s the only reason I’m still alive.” She cast a glance at Allison, smile softening, and Allison found her own lips twitching upwards. “She’s a good fighter and an even better woman.”

After a weighted pause the Jarl dipped his head in acknowledgement, his smile warm enough to rival Renee’s, saying, “You have my gratitude then, young woman. What is your name?”

Allison ground her teeth before bowing her head. She said, “Allison Reynolds, sir Jarl.” She kept her voice even, betraying nothing, and he gave no indication of recognising the name, to her relief. He nodded again, smile twitching slightly, before turning back to the Dunmer:

“Dan, take them to Thea. See if they can help her with that.” He waited for her to nod before addressing Allison and Renee one final time, “You’ll have to excuse me now. It was good to see the both of you.”

And then he was gone. Allison was left with the uncanny feeling that she’d just been faced with someone who could read people like their every secret was written on their foreheads, but she didn’t have any time to flounder as the Dunmer- Dan, as it seems- pulled Renee into a hug. Matching grins were splitting their faces to the point that Allison was surprised their faces didn’t crack, and she stepped a polite distance away to try and give them a tad more privacy. They spoke, she listened:

 “I can’t believe you got attacked by a dragon, Renee, a dragon, like holy shit I would have so paid to see that.”

“Really? Well, you can pay me now. I’m sure I can find one _somewhere_.”

“I don’t doubt you could, but that would be cruel to the dragon. Plus I have no money, so nope. I’ll just have to rot in my envy whilst you reach the stars.”

Renee laughed, slapping Dan on the shoulder before extracting herself from the hug to turn towards Allison, one of her ever present smiles on her face. It may have been for reassurance or it may have been a private joke, but either way her face seemed to glow and Allison felt a little discomfited. Which was admittedly less because of the smile and more because that reminded Dan that, yes, Allison was still there. Her body language tensed, eyes narrowing into an expression that was a little terrifying what with her eyes being red and all, before she asked:

“So you saved our Renee from being dragon meat?”

Allison snorted both at the deliberate wording there and the unbridled suspicion she seemed to secrete, wondering whether to applaud for subtlety. But she shrugged it off- she knew as well as everyone else that she was the outsider here, so there was no point reacting to every tiny thing.

Instead she stated, “Somehow, I think it was the dragon that was saved. She’d probably have destroyed its tongue before the poor thing could even think of swallowing.”

Dan’s expression flickered with amusement, glare lessening a fraction, whilst Renee openly chuckled, admonishing with a wave of her hand, “Please, at most it would lose a tooth. Two at best.”

“Right, and I’m Mara’s left toe.”

At that Dan laughed, her smile fierce and eyes glinting in a way that was- for once- not hostile as she said, “That’s Renee alright. A tough one to kill.” The last of the tension drained from her stance and Allison wondered if she’d passed some sort of test. She wouldn’t be surprised, Skyrim seemed to love them- particularly those for health and patience.

_(God, she wished she had more of both. Her supplies were already near their limit and it had barely been a week)._

Dan gestured them to follow her, explaining:

“Thea’s the court mage. A great woman- I should know, I married her, after all.” She shot Allison a grin, “She’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

* * *

Thea, as it turned out, was a Dunmer who wore the image of a mage like it was her claws- even the robes somehow appearing intimidating where on others they would just look peculiar. Allison was terrified of her simply because the woman practically oozed power, her magicka smelling of lavender and death. Thea had seemed to zero in on Allison the moment they entered, her magicka brushing against her- trying to get a feel for her, to read how much of a threat she could be and what kind of mage she was. It made Allison’s skin crawl, desperately coiling her magic tightly around her until it seemed like barely a slither in hopes that she’d be overlooked.

_(Being underestimated was irritating but more often than not, a life saver)._

After a moment of that Thea had dipped her head in acquiescence and withdrawn the touch, allowing Allison to breathe once more. Attention no longer on the stranger in the room, Thea’s eyes flickered between Dan, Renee and the work in front of her as she asked:

“Can I help you or have you just come to stare at me again?”

Dan laughed, her smile so wide that it made her earlier grin look like a frown, and summarised the prior events. Thea listened with a sombre expression throughout, eyes not wavering from her work until Dan finished talking, at which point she finally turned to Allison. Thea eyed her with an expression that made Allison feel rather like she was a frog being surveyed for dissection, saying:

“Allison, is it? I’m Thea.” An unnecessary introduction but appreciated nonetheless, “ If the Jarl sent you to me then I’m assuming it’ll be about the Dragonstone.”

Ah, of course. Wonderful, more dragons, always with the dragons. Of course it would be about fucking dragons. She’s starting to think that Skyrim is secretly a hive of dragon worshippers and all of this is just their obsession trying to ooze into her life. Oblivion, she hoped this wasn’t going to be a running theme of her time in Skyrim. Once was enough for her, thank you very much. She scowled and asked, “The Dragonstone?”

Thea blinked once in surprise, giving her a once over before apparently only just realising that no, Allison was not from Skyrim, and no, she had no fucking idea what she was talking about. Thea shuffled through a pile of books on the table until she found what she was searching for, turning it around on an open page so Allison could see. In the middle of a sea of tiny, tiny text that Allison wasn’t even going to try to read, was a drawing of a tablet with a carving on it.

_(Nordic, naturally. Skyrim had to be the most obnoxiously Nordic place she’d ever seen)._

Thea tapped the image with her finger, elaborating in a way that somehow wasn’t completely patronising, “ _This_ is the Dragonstone. It’s supposed to contain a map of ancient burial sites.” Seeing Allison’s blank look, “For the Dragons. If we find it, then it may be possible to predict where the next one will rise. Probably.”

Probably? Great, of course, because who cared about certainty anymore? Certainly not anyone in Skyrim. She sounded like she was going for reassuring but Allison was far from comforted. Squinting at the page, she asked, “I take it you want me to retrieve this or something?”

Thea nodded in affirmation and Allison felt rather like that was a lot to ask of a stranger, especially one who’d only been in Skyrim for a very short period of time. But hey, what did she know, she wasn’t a Nord whisperer. Trying to shake the feeling that she was being thrown into a huge pile of shit with little hopes of floating, she asked:

“From where?”

Renee- her blessed saviour- answered for her, “Bleak Falls Barrow. Remember, we passed it on our way out of Helgen?”

She did and she wished she didn’t because, from the glimpse she’d seen, it didn’t look like the kind of place you borrow things from. She’d seen wastelands that looked less gloomy than it, and she’d made a rule a while ago that she waited for at least the third week of being in a place before delving into foreign tombs. It was a matter of principal. Allison was considering what would happen if she refused and whether she could actually refuse in the first place when Renee added:

“I’ll go with you.” Every eye in the room turned to Renee at the rather sudden declaration, but Renee only had eyes for Allison. She smiled warmly and God, Allison felt rather like she was faced with an angel, “You’ll need someone to guide you there. Besides, it’s always best to have someone to watch your back.”

Allison felt gratitude seep into her bones, a smile spreading across her own face at the lack of hesitation. She seemed to have found an ally here, if nothing else, and that was more than she’d ever expected. In that moment, for the first time, she was glad that she’d ended up in Helgen because at least, amongst the nightmare, she may have gained something that was actually _good._

So she smiled back and said, “Then it looks like the dead will be having guests. Hopefully not permanent ones.”

_(Maybe, in the end, she wasn’t as alone as she thought she was. Perhaps she’d found a person she can call a friend)._

**Author's Note:**

> Can be found on my[ tumblr, polyhymina.](http://polyhymina.tumblr.com/tagged/skyrim-au)


End file.
